This adventure started back in August of 2001 when my wife and I saw this house in a Realty Book. It had the address listed so after some discussion her and I decided to go for a drive. We were currently living in Roanoke and we just " talking " about buying a house together. I was only 20 years old at the time and knew that I didn't want to live in town and rent any longer than I had to. I spent most of my Summers on my family's land on the Jackson River in Bath County, VA. My great grandparents and my grandmother lived there and I loved it. During the Summer I would go swimming, fishing, and would work in the garden with them and the rest of the family. It was there that I learned what family was all about. My great grandparents had been married for over 50 years and we had a big family. Thanksgiving Dinners would typically involve over 100 people and we would eat on a table that my great grandfather had built over 40 years ago. I loved being in the country and being able to spend the day working outside and learning about how things used to be done. The garden spaces were everywhere and they were the size of football fields. My family would all get together to help plant everything and they would return in the late Summer to help with the canning and harvesting. I knew I would eventually want that kind of life one day, but I didn't know when or how.
So my wife and I went to find this house and it was an old home that was built back in the 1800's. It was well into falling apart, since the windows were mostly busted out, there was 2 ft of water in the basement, and no one had lived in the house for over 6 years. No one wanted to buy it because it was too much work. I used to remodel apartments for a living and knew we could do it and that it would take a long time, but little by little and as funds allowed we would eventually get it done. We went and talked to a couple of the neighbors and it just so happened that the granddaughter of the original builder lived just a couple houses up. She told us all about the house that she grew up in. It used to have 100's of acres with it and the road in front of it used to be old Route 220. She was born there and her siblings were as well. She told us how there used to be a sawmill down over the hill that family owned and that all of the wood in the house came right off the property. There used to be a General Store located next to the house and that all of the items there were from the farm and other families nearby. The Flour came from just a 1/2 mile away at the old McNeil Mill that was built before the Revolutionary War. In the mid 1900's our garage was built and it used to be a cabinet and upholstery shop. She just kept telling us these things and I knew that I wanted to get this some way if I could make it happen. It was the old Love Homestead and the family had been there for over a 100 years. We learned so much about this home and we felt compelled to buy it.
We started things simple with just a few animals, nothing major, since we were trying to take on a huge house renovation. We had never really thought about goats until my daughter was born and we discovered she had an allergy to cow's milk. Shortly after she showed symptoms of eczema. We had the room to raise our own goat's and for the sake of our daughter's health, we decided to get a few. We began to make our own soap to help with the eczema and you could just see a huge difference in her health and her skin.
My family and I attended our first Dairy Goat Show back in 2009 and from then we were hooked. Our small herd nearly grew over night and we started to improve the genetics that we were working with each year. We were lucky enough to meet a breeder not too far away who was a National Dairy Goat judge who had bred some of the best Nubians in the Country and has had several National Show Winners of her own. Many thanks have always been owed to Jean Lucas of Kismet Nubians for all of the help and wonderful guidance over the years. We went to every show we could make it to over 3 years and were overjoyed with the results. Coaching my daughters sports teams and being at 2 Markets have put a hold on our showing, but we still continue to work with the best genetics available and we strive to do are part on improving the Nubian breed.
These days you can find us at the Rocky Mount Farmer's Market every Saturday and at Hair Trends Salon in Roanoke, Virginia a couple days a week. We love getting out and meeting new people, as well as, continuing to connect with our loyal customers that we have had the privilege to know over the years. We offer a variety of All Natural Products that are healthy for you and your skin, so if you get a chance stop by and see us at the markets.
The General Store
Briar Mtn Farm
All Natural Goat's Milk Soap and Lotion
Nubian Dairy Goats and AKC Anatolian Shepherds
Rocky Mount, Virginia
